asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will outline the proposals if any, he has to improve the situation whereby approximately 80 per cent of small indigenous manufacturing firms do not export at all.
Written Answers. - Manufacturing Firms' Export Activity.
19.
The information available to my Department suggests that approximately 40 per cent of firms in the small indigenous manufacturing sector do in fact engage in some level of export activity.
However, I am sure the Deputy will agree that even this level of export participation by our smaller native firms is totally unsatisfactory. Since taking up office as Minister for Trade and Marketing, I have been particularly concerned to address this issue and indeed a number of very useful initiatives have already been taken.
I recently issued new operating guidelines to CTT, among which was a requirement that CTT shift the focus of its attention to developing the exporting capacity of our indigenous industry, particularly smaller firms.
A particular weakness in small firms is their lack of expertise in the marketing area. The recently enacted legislation on special trading houses is intended to address this very issue by enabling small companies to get their product on to world markets without having to acquire the costly marketing expertise which would otherwise be necessary for market penetration. A further innovation aimed at overcoming marketing weakness of our smaller firms is the recently announced fostering scheme which is being operated by the Marketing Institute of Ireland. Under this scheme, small Irish companies will be able to call upon the assistance and advice of experienced marketeers who have voluntarily offered their services and expertise in order to develop the exporting potential of more Irish companies. All of these measures represent practical concrete action which has already been taken to address the undoubted problem to which the Deputy refers.
In addition, my Department is currently developing a national marketing plan and is undertaking a review of the small industries programme which will be concerned with all aspects of this sector of industry, including exporting. The national marketing plan and small industries review will be completed in the near future and I hope that initiatives arising from both the review and the plan will do even more to improve the export performance of small indigenous manufacturing firms.